Ok, so everyone's seen the amazing film Madagascar, which includes these animals. But we feel they were a bit misrepresented. While it might look like a cat, fossas (Cryptoprocta ferox) are actually very closely related to the mongoose. They are indeed endemic to Madagascar, and they're the largest carnivores on the island. These enigmatic predators are solitary animals and they will pounce on anything they can sink their retractable claws into. Unfortunately they are endangered because their habitat is threatened by deforestation.

Which one of these bizarre creatures and critters are you meeting for the first time? Discover animal kingdom oddballs that 500px photographers have captured for you, with jaw-dropping features that range from wide cartoon-ish eyes to extremely long limbs and snouts to exaggerated body parts that look downright scary. Plus, you’ll get the story behind each of these photographers’ wild encounters. Scroll down!

It’s been nearly a decade since it was first uploaded, but “I Feel Fantastic” is still only a little less mysterious than when it first captured the attention of the internet. The featured robot, Tara the Android, is the creation of an robot hobbyist who calls himself "John Bergeron." The plan was for Tara to be the first android pop star, but the bizarre description on the YouTube upload that references Pygmalion and a cutaway from I Feel Fantastic to an outdoor location gave birth to several online urban legends. Is Tara a harmless pop star, or a robot built in the image of a murder victim? It’s been nearly a decade since it was first uploaded, but “I Feel Fantastic” is still only a little less mysterious than when it first captured the attention of the internet. The featured robot, Tara the Android, is the creation of an robot hobbyist who calls himself "John Bergeron." The plan was for Tara to be the first android pop star, but the bizarre description on the YouTube upload that references Pygmalion and a cutaway from I Feel Fantastic to an outdoor location gave birth to several online urban legends. Is Tara a harmless pop star, or a robot built in the image of a murder victim? Pet owners know the eerie feeling of seeing your cat or dog watch something you can't see, and this dog owner put their pet's extra senses to the test. Captured in 2008, the footage starts off with radio interference and an orb, but gets substantially weirder. A door opens and shuts on its own, a roll of paper towels goes flying, and the dogs bark and retreat from something behind where the camera is sitting. It's a freaky scene, one that's not easily explained by camera tricks. The daintily named sea pig is actually a kind of locally abundant sea cucumber that inhabits the world’s abyssal plains up to 3.7 miles beneath the surface. It gets its name from a characteristic pink, eggplant-shaped body and bloated legs that give it a porcine appearance. Like their shallower cucumber cousins, sea pigs play an important role in marine ecosystems. They feed on detritus that falls to the seafloor from the rich waters above, whether plankton or a whale carcass. They walk along on a few large tube feet, using a combination of muscle contractions and body fluids. Modified pairs of legs can act as antennae to detect food.